Principles of electronic communication systems 5th edition louis frenzel

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Principles of Electronic Communication Systems 5th Edition

Louis Frenzel

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Principles of Electronic Communication Systems

Fifth Edition

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Louis E. Frenzel Jr.

PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, FIFTH EDITION

Published by McGraw Hill LLC, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Copyright © 2023 by McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Previous editions © 2016, 2008, and 2003. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC, including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Frenzel, Louis E., Jr., 1938– author.

Title: Principles of electronic communication systems / Louis E Frenzel.

Description: Fifth edition. | New York, NY : McGraw Hill Education, 2022. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020024475 (print) | LCCN 2020024476 (ebook) | ISBN 9781260789355 (spiral bound) | ISBN 9781259932793 | ISBN 9781260789362 (ebook other)

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Chapter 1 Introduction to Electronic Communication 1 1-1 The Significance of Human Communication 3 1-2 Communication Systems 3 1-3 Types of Electronic Communication 5 1-4 Modulation and Multiplexing 8 1-5 The Electromagnetic Spectrum 12 1-6 Bandwidth 18 1-7 A Survey of Communication Applications 21 1-8 Jobs and Careers in the Communication Industry 23 Chapter 2 Electronic Fundamentals for Communications 31 2-1 Gain, Attenuation, and Decibels 32 2-2 Tuned Circuits 42 2-3 Filters 57 2-4 Fourier Theory 79
Contents Preface ix

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Chapter 3 Amplitude Modulation Fundamentals 94 3-1 AM Concepts 95 3-2 Modulation Index and Percentage of Modulation 97 3-3 Sidebands and the Frequency Domain 100 3-4 AM Power 106 3-5 Single-Sideband Modulation 110 3-6 Current AM/ASK Radio Usage 114 3-7 Classification of Radio Emissions 115 Chapter 4 Amplitude Modulator and Demodulator Circuits 119 4-1 Basic Principles of Amplitude Modulation 120 4-2 Amplitude Modulators 123 4-3 Amplitude Demodulators 131 4-4 Balanced Modulators 138 4-5 SSB Circuits 143 Chapter 5 Fundamentals of Frequency Modulation 150 5-1 Basic Principles of Frequency Modulation 151 5-2 Principles of Phase Modulation 153 5-3 Modulation Index and Sidebands 156 5-4 Noise Suppression Effects of FM 165 5-5 Frequency Modulation Versus Amplitude Modulation 169
Chapter 6 FM Circuits 174 6-1 Frequency Modulators 175 6-2 Phase Modulators 181 6-3 Frequency Demodulators 184 6-4 FSK Circuits 188 Chapter 7 Digital Communication Techniques 194 7-1 Digital Transmission of Data 195 7-2 Parallel and Serial Transmission 196 7-3 Data Conversion 199 7-4 Pulse Modulation 224 7-5 Digital Signal Processing 228 Chapter 8 Radio Transmitters 237 8-1 Transmitter Fundamentals 238 8-2 Carrier Generators 242 8-3 Power Amplifiers 260 8-4 Impedance-Matching Networks 278 8-5 Typical Transmitter Circuits 287 Chapter 9 Communication Receivers 291 9-1 Basic Principles of Signal Reproduction 292 9-2 Superheterodyne Receivers 295 9-3 Frequency Conversion 297 9-4 Intermediate Frequency and Images 306 9-5 Noise 311
page v 9-6 Typical Receiver Circuits 323 9-7 Typical Receivers and Transceivers 332 Chapter 10 Digital Data Transmission 340 10-1 Digital Codes 341 10-2 Principles of Digital Transmission 343 10-3 Transmission Efficiency 350 10-4 Modem Concepts and Methods 355 10-5 Wideband Modulation 370 10-6 Broadband Modem Techniques 379 10-7 Error Detection and Correction 383 10-8 Protocols 393 Chapter 11 Multiplexing, Duplexing, and Multiple Access 401 11-1 Multiplexing Principles 402 11-2 Frequency-Division Multiplexing 403 11-3 Time-Division Multiplexing 408 11-4 Pulse-Code Modulation 415 11-5 Multiple Access 421 11-6 Duplexing 424 Chapter 12 Digital and Software-Defined Radios 428 12-1 Defining the Digital and SoftwareDefined Radios 429 12-2 Making SDR Possible 430
12-3 Replacing Analog Functions with Digital Processes 431 12-4 The Benefits of SDRs 431 12-5 Software-Defined Radio: Receivers 432 12-6 Software-Defined Radio: Transmitters 434 12-7 A Survey of Software-Defined Radios 435 12-8 Cognitive Radios 442 Chapter 13 Transmission Lines 445 13-1 Transmission Line Basics 446 13-2 Standing Waves 459 13-3 Transmission Lines as Circuit Elements 468 13-4 The Smith Chart 473 Chapter 14 Fundamentals of Networking, Local-Area Networks, and Ethernet 486 14-1 Network Fundamentals 487 14-2 LAN Hardware 495 14-3 Ethernet LANs 502 14-4 Advanced Ethernet 511 14-5 Special Ethernet Variations 513 Chapter 15 Wired Data Communications 518 15-1 Rationale for Serial I/O 519 15-2 Serial I/O Applications 520 15-3 Low-Speed Serial Interfaces 521
page vi 15-4 High-Speed Serial Interfaces 526 Chapter 16 Antennas and Wave Propagation 530 16-1 Antenna Fundamentals 531 16-2 Common Antenna Types 539 16-3 Radio Wave Propagation 562 Chapter 17 Internet Technologies 580 17-1 Internet Applications 581 17-2 Internet Transmission Systems 583 17-3 Cloud Networking and Virtual Systems 599 17-4 Storage-Area Networks 601 17-5 Internet Security 604 17-6 Internet Telephony 609 Chapter 18 Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Communication 614 18-1 Microwave Concepts 615 18-2 Microwave Transmission Lines and Devices 622 18-3 Waveguides and Cavity Resonators 632 18-4 Microwave Semiconductor Diodes 641 18-5 Microwave Tubes 644 18-6 Microwave Antennas 648 18-7 Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Applications 668

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Chapter 19 Satellite Communication 681 19-1 Satellite Orbits 682 19-2 Satellite Communication Systems 689 19-3 Satellite Subsystems 693 19-4 Ground Stations 698 19-5 Satellite Applications 702 19-6 Global Navigation Satellite Systems 707 Chapter 20 Optical Communication 718 20-1 Optical Principles 719 20-2 Optical Communication Systems 723 20-3 Fiber-Optic Cables 728 20-4 Optical Transmitters and Receivers 740 20-5 Wavelength-Division Multiplexing 755 20-6 Passive Optical Networks 757 20-7 400-Gbps Networks and Beyond 760 Chapter 21 Cell Phone Technologies 769 21-1 Cellular Telephone Systems 770 21-2 A Cellular Industry Overview 772 21-3 2G and 3G Digital Cell Phone Systems 774 21-4 Long-Term Evolution and 4G Cellular Systems 776 21-5 Fifth-Generation Wireless Cellular 784 21-6 Smartphone Analysis 786
21-7 Base Stations and Small Cells 789 Chapter 22 Wireless Technologies 800 22-1 Wireless LAN 801 22-2 Bluetooth 808 22-3 ZigBee and Mesh Wireless Networks 810 22-4 Radio-Frequency Identification and Near-Field Communications 813 22-5 Ultrawideband Wireless 817 22-6 Optional Wireless Technologies 820 22-7 Internet of Things 823 Chapter 23 Communication Tests and Measurements 829 23-1 Communication Test Equipment 830 23-2 Common Communication Tests 849 23-3 Troubleshooting Techniques 867 23-4 Electromagnetic Interference Testing 871 Answers to Selected Problems 881 Appendix A 883 Appendix B 885 Appendix C 887 Glossary 889 Index 909

Preface

To Instructors

This new fifth edition of the Principles of Electronic Communication Systems has been fully reviewed and updated. A book such as this needs revision frequently as the technology changes continually Of course, the fundamentals of electronics communications do not change. However, the ways these principles are applied do change occasionally. During the past five years since the introduction of the previous fourth edition, some major changes and additions have taken place. Most of these changes are important to those of you teaching communications technology and for those of you who are out looking for work in this field. A high percentage of the new jobs involves the most recent developments.

As a writer and editor for a major electronics magazine, I am able to keep up on all the new products and technologies by way of continuous monitoring and interacting with the industries and companies that design, manufacture, and apply the new equipment. Keeping track of all of this is a full-time job.

This new version of the book is a balance of standard fundamentals and principles plus an introduction to the most recent and relevant products and technologies. It also incorporates the suggestions that some of you have provided, for which I am grateful. Here are the highlights of this new edition. Note most of the chapter sequences and numbers have changed and two new chapters (12 and 15) have been added.

• Chapters 1 through 7 are pretty much the same. Fundamentals do not change much, although these chapters were edited and updated.

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• Chapters 8 and 9 on transmitters and receivers also remain pretty much the same except for minor updates. Also, some material from these chapters has been moved to the new Chapter 12 covering software-defined radios (SDRs).

• Chapters 10 and 11 have been reversed. It is important to cover the digital fundamentals before diving into multiplexing. Heavy edit.

• Chapter 12 is a new chapter covering software-defined radios.

• Chapter 13 on transmission lines has been updated.

• Chapter 14 on networking has been updated with enhancements to the Ethernet coverage.

• Chapter 15 is a totally new chapter that covers popular wired communication techniques and serial interfaces. Wire or cable, it’s still a major form of communications.

• Chapter 16 on antennas and propagation has been updated.

• Chapter 17 on Internet technologies has been revised to include topics such as Internet telephony, virtualization, and cloud usage.

• Chapter 18 on microwaves and millimeter waves has been enhanced with increased coverage of relevant antenna technology such as MIMO and agile beam-forming phased arrays.

• Chapter 19 on satellites has been updated with new GPS information and other new material.

• Chapter 20 on optical technology received minor updating.

• Chapter 21 on the cellular technologies is virtually all new. LTE coverage has been updated and expanded. Full coverage of the new 5G New Radio standard and systems has been added.

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• Chapter 22, covering the various popular short-range wireless technologies, has been extensively updated adding new Bluetooth (LE) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) versions. The Internet of

Things (IoT) material has been increased and the full spectrum of new wireless standards and methods has been added.

• Chapter 23 on test and measurement has been updated with new instruments and methods. The addition of VNAs and Sparameters was overdue.

You will notice that I omitted mention of one chapter: previous Chapter 18 on telecommunications. This chapter covered legacy telephones and telephone systems. Wired telephones have been fading away for years, and today most people use only their cell phones. In fact, in many locations throughout the United States, local loop-wired telephone service is no longer available. Further, telephone companies are gradually sunsetting their wired service and putting most of their investments into the buildout of their wireless systems, especially the new 5G NR services. Employment opportunities in the wired telecom field have mostly disappeared. I felt it best to use the available space in this textbook on the more upto-date technologies. Some of the more useful telecom material has been incorporated into other chapters as appropriate.

I have continued with the end-of-chapter Online Activities. It is essential that all of you who use this book know that there is more communications and wireless knowledge and information out there than you can ever absorb. A good Internet search is essential if you ever want to dig deeper or to look more broadly at any given subject. The topics I chose reflect current trends and applications.

I have tried to edit out the older discrete component circuits where appropriate and replace them with the equivalent IC devices used today. I have left in discussion of some popular discrete component circuits where they are still used. I know some of you still like to teach the older circuits. That’s fine if you do, but you may want to point out that the real world uses more ICs as well as complete systems on a chip (SoC).

A mixed bag of new appendices has also been included. These are informational pieces on subjects that do not fit conveniently into the main chapters. Hopefully you will find them useful.

Before I conclude, let me give you my view of where the industry and technology are headed. These are not only the trends and

developments I see but also what the market analysists and company CEOs are saying and thinking. Hopefully this will give you clues as to how to slant your course coverage and better target what graduates really need to know to get hired today. It is easy to fall into a pattern of teaching the same things repeatedly each semester as it is easier to proceed with previously developed materials than it is to add new relevant material. Don’t be one of those who does a good job of teaching the history of communications but ignores the movements and emphasis that is needed out in the real world. The fundamentals are important and you must continue to teach them but also shift the emphasis as needed and add new material regularly. I hope this revised edition will help with that effort. Yes, I have taught this before so know there is always more material to cover than there is time to include it.

Macro Trends

1. The emphasis today is on systems more than on individual components and circuits. Engineers and technicians work with the end equipment, related modules, and subassemblies and not so much so with components. While you teach the components, put the focus on the application, including the related equipment, module, PCB or IC. A good approach is to use more block diagrams and signal flow discussions. Give the big picture or, as they say, the 10,000-ft view.

2. Most new comm and wireless equipment today operates at the microwave or millimeter-wave frequencies. Remember microwaves begin at 1 GHz. So common things like Bluetooth, ZigBee, satellite TV, and GPS are all microwave devices. Low-frequency gear is still around, of course, but virtually all new applications and equipment operate at frequencies from the 5-GHz 802.11ax Wi-Fi to the single-chip auto radars at 77 GHz. Most of the new 5G cellular gear operates in the range from 1 GHz to 6 GHz with all the new mmWave systems using the 28-, 37-, 39-GHz to 47-GHz bands. Electronics and communications at these frequencies are

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different. Start shifting your teaching emphasis to those components and circuits that work at those frequencies.

3. What engineers and techs do all day is fuss with test gear. You must teach test and measurement. While the scope is still a prominent bench instrument, today the more useful RF instruments are the spectrum analyzer, vector network analyzer, and RF signal emulators and generators. I am sure you know that these instruments are extremely expensive. Few if any college labs can afford them, but do work toward acquiring them. Buy used, borrow, or rent if you can so that you can give students at least some short lab experiences with them. And lectures and demos are better than nothing.

4. Add coverage of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic interference (EMI). There is so much wireless floating around out there that interference and coexistence of technologies have become problems. A major part of a wireless engineer’s or technician’s work is tracking down EMI and eliminating or minimizing it. This is another topic that requires specialized test gear.

5. Finally, make students realize that virtually every phase of communications and wireless is heavily regulated. Make sure they know about the FCC and NTIA, the spectrum issues, and all of the rules and regulations in the CFR 47 Parts 0–99, especially Parts 15 and 18. And mention all of the standards bodies and industry alliances. These often hidden or ignored organizations control the whole technology and industry and are dynamite sources of information.

Thanks for continuing to use this text. Let me and/or McGraw Hill know if you find any errors or if you wish to suggest additional or revised coverage.

To Students

This book is loaded with information. As you will probably discover, the course you are taking will probably not cover all the chapters as it is too much to include in one semester. Here are some of suggestions to help you make it through the course.

This book assumes that you have had some prior course or training in electronics. Most of you will have had the prerequisites in one or more college courses or acquired this knowledge in military service or company training programs. Even self-study is a valid way to learn the fundamentals.

Then again, you may not have had any electronics background. If that is the case, you may want to get that background education before continuing here.

If you have had some basic electronics background but it has been a while since you have acquired it, you have probably forgotten much of this knowledge. One recommended solution is to keep one or more electronics fundamentals books around so you can look up what you forgot or never learned. Chapter 2 in this book covers much of what you probably learned in an AC Circuits course that should expedite your learning. My own McGraw Hill textbook, Contemporary Electronics, Fundamentals, Devices, Circuits and Systems, covers all that you should know.

Check out the book list in Appendix A that recommends those books I found to be helpful.

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As it has turned out, the communications sector is the largest part of the U.S. electronics industry. Because of that, many jobs are available. Taking this course and finishing your education should provide you with enough credentials to get one of those communications jobs. If you get one of those jobs, you may want to keep this textbook as a reference as you may need it occasionally. Anyway, good luck with the course, your education, and job search. Here’s to your coming success.

Acknowledgments

My special thanks to McGraw Hill portfolio manager Beth Bettcher for her continued support and encouragement to make this new edition possible. Thanks also to Beth Baugh and the other helpful McGraw Hill support staff, including Jeni McAtee and Alyson Platt. It has been a pleasure to work with all of you.

I also want to thank Nancy Friedrich of Microwaves & RF magazine and Bill Baumann from Electronic Design magazine, both of Penton Media Inc. (Now Endeavor Business Media), for permission to use sections of my articles in updating chapters 20 and 21.

My appreciation also goes out to those professors who reviewed the book and offered their feedback, criticism, and suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to provide that valuable input. I have implemented most of their recommendations. The following reviewers provided a wealth of good suggestions for the new edition:

John Bosshard

Texas A&M University

William I. Dolan

Kennebec Valley Community College

Byron Garry

South Dakota State University

Venkata Khambhammettu

ECPI University, Virginia Beach

Mervin Moats Jr. Central Carolina Community College

Prentice Tyndall Pitt Community College

With the latest input from industry and the suggestions from those who use the book, this edition should come closer than ever to being an ideal textbook for teaching current day communications electronics.

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Guided Tour

Learning Features

The fifth edition of Principles of Electronic Communication Systems retains the popular learning elements featured in previous editions. These include:

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Introduction to Electronic Communication

Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

■ Explain the functions of the three main parts of an electronic communication system.

■ Describe the system used to classify different types of electronic communication and list examples of each type.

■ Discuss the role of modulation and multiplexing in facilitating signal transmission.

■ Define the electromagnetic spectrum and explain why the nature of electronic communication makes it necessary to regulate the electromagnetic spectrum.

■ Explain the relationship between frequency range and bandwidth and give the frequency ranges for spectrum uses ranging from voice to ultra-high-frequency television.

■ List the major branches of the field of electronic communication and describe the qualifications necessary for different jobs.

■ State the benefit of licensing and certification and name at least three sources.

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Figure 1-1 Milestones in the history of electronic communication

1-1 The Significance of Human Communication

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Communication is the process of exchanging information. People communicate to convey their thoughts, ideas, and feelings to others. The process of communication is inherent to all human life and includes verbal, nonverbal (body language), print, and electronic processes.

Communication

Two of the main barriers to human communication are language and distance. Language barriers arise between persons of different cultures or nationalities. Communicating over long distances is another problem. But that problem has been solved today with modern electronic communications.

Human communication took a dramatic leap forward in the late nineteenth century when electricity was discovered and its many applications were explored. The telegraph was invented in 1844 and the telephone in 1876. Radio was discovered in 1887 and demonstrated in 1895. Fig. 1-1 is a timetable listing important milestones in the history of electronic communication.

GOOD TO KNOW

Marconi is generally credited with inventing radio, but he did not Although he was a key developer and the first deployer of radio, the real credit goes to Heinrich Hertz, who first discovered radio waves, and Nicola Tesla, who first developed real radio applications

Well-known forms of electronic communication, such as the telephone, radio, TV, and the Internet, have increased our ability to share information. The way we do things and the success of our work and personal lives are directly related to how well we communicate. It has been said that the emphasis in our society has now shifted from that of manufacturing and mass production of goods to the accumulation, packaging, and exchange of information. Ours is an information society, and a key part of it is communication. Without electronic communication, we could not access and apply the available information in a timely way.

This book is about electronic communication, and how electrical and electronic principles, components, circuits, equipment, and systems facilitate and improve our ability to communicate. Rapid communication is critical in our very fast-paced world. It is also addictive. Once we adopt and get used to any form of electronic communication, we become hooked on its benefits. In fact, we cannot imagine conducting our lives or

our businesses without it. Just imagine our world without the telephone, radio, e-mail, television, cell phones, tablets, or computer networking.

1-2 Communication Systems

All electronic communication systems have a transmitter, a communication channel or medium, and a receiver. These basic components are shown in Fig. 1-2. The process of communication begins when a human being generates some kind of message, data, or other intelligence that must be received by others. A message may also be generated by a computer or electronic current. In electronic communication systems, the message is referred to as information, or an intelligence signal. This message, in the form of an electronic signal, is fed to the transmitter, which then transmits the message over the communication channel. The message is picked up by the receiver and relayed to another human. Along the way, noise is added in the communication channel and in the receiver Noise is the general term applied to any unwanted phenomenon that degrades or interferes with the transmitted information.

Electronic communication systems

Information

Noise

Figure 1-2 A general model of all communication systems
Transmitter

The first step in sending a message is to convert it into electronic form suitable for transmission. For voice messages, a microphone is used to translate the sound into an electronic audio signal. For TV, a camera converts the light information in the scene to a video signal. In computer systems, the message is typed on a keyboard and converted to binary codes that can be stored in memory or transmitted serially. Transducers convert physical characteristics (temperature, pressure, light intensity, and so on) into electrical signals.

Audio

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The transmitter itself is a collection of electronic components and circuits designed to convert the electrical signal to a signal suitable for transmission over a given communication medium. Transmitters are made up of oscillators, amplifiers, tuned circuits and filters, modulators, frequency mixers, frequency synthesizers, and other circuits. The original intelligence signal usually modulates a higherfrequency carrier sine wave generated by the transmitter, and the combination is raised in amplitude by power amplifiers, resulting in a signal that is compatible with the selected transmission medium.

Transmitter

Communication Channel

The communication channel is the medium by which the electronic signal is sent from one place to another. Many different types of media are used in communication systems, including wire conductors, fiber-optic cable, and free space.

Communication channel

Electrical Conductors. In its simplest form, the medium may simply be a pair of wires that carry a voice signal from a microphone to a headset. It may be a coaxial cable such as that used to carry cable TV signals. Or it may be a twisted-pair cable used in a local-area network (LAN).

Optical Media. The communication medium may also be a fiber-optic cable or “light pipe” that carries the message on a light wave. These are widely used today to carry long-distance calls and all Internet communications. The information is converted to digital form that can be

used to turn a laser diode off and on at high speeds. Alternatively, audio or video analog signals can be used to vary the amplitude of the light.

Free Space. When free space is the medium, the resulting system is known as radio. Also known as wireless, radio is the broad general term applied to any form of wireless communication from one point to another. Radio makes use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Intelligence signals are converted to electric and magnetic fields that propagate nearly instantaneously through space over long distances. Communication by visible or infrared light also occurs in free space.

Wireless radio

Other Types of Media. Although the most widely used media are conducting cables and free space (radio), other types of media are used in special communication systems. For example, in sonar, water is used as the medium. Passive sonar “listens” for underwater sounds with sensitive hydrophones. Active sonar uses an echo-reflecting technique similar to that used in radar for determining how far away objects under water are and in what direction they are moving.

The earth itself can be used as a communication medium, because it conducts electricity and can also carry low-frequency sound waves.

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Alternating-current (ac) power lines, the electrical conductors that carry the power to operate virtually all our electrical and electronic devices, can also be used as communication channels. The signals to be transmitted are simply superimposed on or added to the power line voltage. This is known as carrier current transmission or power line communications (PLC). It is used for some types of remote control of electrical equipment.

Carrier current transmission

Receivers

A receiver is a collection of electronic components and circuits that accepts the transmitted message from the channel and converts it back to a form understandable by humans. Receivers contain amplifiers, oscillators, mixers, tuned circuits and filters, and a demodulator or detector that recovers the original intelligence signal from the modulated carrier. The output is the original signal, which is then read out or displayed. It may be a voice signal sent to a speaker, a video signal that is

fed to an LCD screen for display, or binary data that is received by a computer and then printed out or displayed on a video monitor.

Receiver Transceivers

Most electronic communication is two-way, and so both parties must have both a transmitter and a receiver. As a result, most communication equipment incorporates circuits that both send and receive. These units are commonly referred to as transceivers. All the transmitter and receiver circuits are packaged within a single housing and usually share some common circuits such as the power supply. Telephones, handheld radios, cellular telephones, and computer modems are examples of transceivers.

Transceiver

Attenuation

Signal attenuation, or degradation, is inevitable no matter what the medium of transmission. Attenuation is proportional to the square of the distance between the transmitter and the receiver. Media are also frequency-selective, in that a given medium will act as a low-pass filter to a transmitted signal, distorting digital pulses in addition to greatly reducing signal amplitude over long distances. Thus considerable signal amplification, in both the transmitter and the receiver, is required for successful transmission. Any medium also slows signal propagation to a speed slower than the speed of light.

Attenuation

Noise

Noise is mentioned here because it is the bane of all electronic communications. Noise comes from many different sources including thermal agitation in components, power lines, atmospheric phenomena like lightning, other electrical and electronic equipment such as motors, relays, and power supplies. Most noise is experienced in the receiver part of any communications system. For that reason, we cover noise at that more appropriate time in Chapter 9 While some noise can be filtered out, the general way to minimize noise is to use components that contribute less noise and to lower their temperatures. The measure of noise is

usually expressed in terms of the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (SNR), which is the signal power divided by the noise power and can be stated numerically or in terms of decibels (dB). Obviously, a very high SNR is preferred for best performance.

1-3 Types of Electronic Communication

Electronic communications are classified according to whether they are (1) one-way (simplex) or two-way (full duplex or half duplex) transmissions and (2) analog or digital signals.

Simplex

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The simplest way in which electronic communication is conducted is oneway communications, normally referred to as simplex communication. Wireless microphones are a form of simplex communications. Other examples are shown in Fig. 1-3 The most common forms of simplex communication are radio and TV broadcasting. Satellite radio and TV are also simplex. Another example of one-way communication is transmission to a remotely controlled vehicle like a toy car or drone.

Simplex communication

In Fig. 1-3(a), the satellite transmits the TV programming to the home antenna and TV set. The TV does not talk back so this is a simplex downlink.

The satellite gets its programming material from a ground-based TV station that transmits it up to the satellite by way of a simplex uplink. No two-way communication takes place. The up and down links are separate simplex connections.

Another example is shown in Fig. 1-3(b). The control link to the drone is simplex. However, if the drone’s camera transmits video back to the operator, a form of duplex transmission is taking place.

Figure 1-3 Simplex communication

Full Duplex

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The bulk of electronic communication is two-way, or duplex communication. Typical duplex applications are shown in Fig. 1-4. For example, people communicating with one another over the telephone can talk and listen simultaneously, as Fig. 1-4(a) illustrates. This is called full duplex communication.

Duplex communication

Full duplex communication

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